The San Francisco Oracle: Vol. 1, No. 8 (June 1967)

Title: The San Francisco Oracle

Author: Cohen, Allen, ed.

Publication: San Francisco: The Oracle Co-operative Publishing Company, 1967.

Description: Vol. 1, No. 8 (June 1967) of the San Francisco Oracle, an underground newspaper from the Haight-Ashbury district, this issue containing interviews, articles, and poetry by and about indigenous peoples in the United States. Second or later printing, without "A Curse on the Men in Washington, Pentagon." Printed in color on newsprint, with numerous illustrations, some full-page. 15.25 x 11.5 inches; 36, [4] pages. Moderate toning, a contemporary price marking in pen on page [1], and small tears and chips at the spine and edges not affecting the text. Very Good. A collectible copy of this important countercultural newspaper. The front cover illustration, by Hetti McGee, depicts Chief Joseph at Mount Shasta with flying saucers. Other illustrators include Bob Schnepp ("Summer of Love"), Armando Busick ("1984"), Ami McGill ("Who Is an Indian?"), and Michael X ("Plea"). Content includes "Sun Bear Speaks," an interview with Sun Bear; "Tuwaqachi--The Fourth World," by Richard Grossinger; "Who Is an Indian?" by John Collier, Jr.; "The First Sound," by Kirby Doyle; and "Dialogue with a Western Astronomer and an Eastern Philosopher," by Ralph Metzner. Poems include "Sioux Songs," by James Koller; "Astromancy," by Phillip Lamantia; and "Plea," by Bob Kaufman. The San Francisco Oracle, a worker-owned cooperative newspaper, was published in 12 issues between September 1966 and February 1968, with circulation peaking at between 100,000 and 125,000. Starting with issue #6, the paper began experimenting with multicolor split-fountain printing processes that resulted in rainbow-like psychedelic illustrations.